Dry, chapped lips: what can you do?
Are your lips chapped by the Canadian cold?Discover our tips to care for and protect your lips from drying out and restore your radiant smile.
Chapped lips: how to care for them?
Chapped lips are a common phenomenon in many people. Find out why lips are so fragile and how to protect them.
Lips are particularly fragile because their skin is much thinner than the rest of the body, and they lack sebaceous and sweat glands. Deprived of their hydrolipidic film and melanin production, they are therefore more sensitive to external aggressions.
What are the causes and risk factors for dry lips?
Constantly exposed to external aggressors, lips tend to dry out more quickly than other parts of the body. Symptoms of dry skin include redness, tightness and irritation.
The main risk factors are :
Cold Wind UV rays Pollution Acidic or spicy food
If the skin is not rehydrated and protected, lips will start to peel, then crack, leading to chapping.
Find out in detail how to moisturize dry skin (link to article on dry skin) and dehydrated skin (link to article on dehydrated skin) to strengthen the skin's protective barrier against external aggressors.
Chapped lips are usually chapped along the entire length of the lip, with peeling of the skin. In other cases, chapping affects only the corners of the lips. This is known as perlèche, a pathology linked either to bacterial infection or mycosis. Chapped lips can be distinguished from perleche by the presence of chapped lips and the formation of crusts.
To limit lip dryness, cracks and irritation, a number of treatments and best practices can be applied.
When lips are chapped, we tend to pull at the dead skin by biting our lips. Removing the flakes further chafes the lips and delays the healing process. It's therefore essential to avoid this bad habit to limit lip drying and cracking.
Exfoliating lip skin removes dead skin cells. Once a week, use a treatment with natural exfoliating particles containing nourishing ingredients such as honey, which has moisturizing and healing properties.
You can also exfoliate your lips with a homemade lip scrub made from sugar, honey and lemon juice.
Lip balm is essential for limiting chapped lips. Choose a lip balm containing moisturizing agents such as coconut oil, shea butter or jojoba oil for deep hydration. Beeswax is also recommended to recreate a protective film and shield lips from external aggression.
- Bioderma Atoderm Lip Balm is a moisturizing balm that provides long-lasting hydration and leaves lips soft and supple. It's ideal for rapidly regenerating chapped, dry lips.
- Atoderm lip stick is another Bioderma soothing balm that moisturizes and soothes lips. Its raspberry flavor is suitable for the whole family
Remember to keep a moisturizing stick with you at all times to multiply applications.
For exposure to cold and UV rays, use a lip balm with UV protection.
Dry, chapped lips can be made up if the lipstick used contains moisturizing agents. Some lipsticks tend to accentuate flaking, so we recommend tinted, red or glossy balms enriched with soothing oils. Avoid dark colors, which tend to dry out lips.
What ingredients are recommended for lip care?
Several ingredients are very good for moisturizing the lips, helping to restore and maintain the protective barrier. They are also beneficial for soothing feelings of tightness and pain associated with cracking.
- Beeswax and shea butter restore skin elasticity and protect against external aggressors, keeping lips moisturized.
Atoderm Bioderma lip stick contains these two moisturizing agents.
- Soybean oil has emollient, moisturizing and antioxidant properties. It helps soften lip skin. Atoderm lip balm () is an excellent ally in limiting the appearance of chapped lip symptoms. Avocado oil is a vegetable oil renowned for its soothing, nourishing and ultra-moisturizing properties.
Atoderm lip balm contains avocado oil in addition to soybean oil.